Learn To Make Cheese

I can’t believe we’ve never before come across the fabulous blog, Cheese A Day, a site dedicated to home cheesemaking and other slow food pursuits.    And they’ve had yet another successful experience with Ricki Carroll’s 30 minute mozzarella recipe.   (We really need to try it ourselves).  Photos prove it after the jump!

“I used Ricki Carrol’s 30 minute recipe with the microwave, and for a first success I’m happy with the results. It does look kinda funky since I wasn’t exactly sure how to shape it, but it is absolutely string Mozzarella. I pushed out a lot of the whey so it won’t be as creamy on a pizza as I could have made it, but the mechanical properties–the grain, so to say–are spot on. It’s going to be fun trying different kinds of milk to see what results I get.’

Cheese A Day: Mozzarella!.

In the Alchemical Kitchen, Catalyst Magazine writer discusses her first experiences with cheesemaking at home.  While initially, the idea of cheesemaking seemed daunting, Brenner now makes her own cheeses on a weekly basis.   We’re talking ricotta, mozzarella, cream cheese, kefir as well as some non-dairy cheeses.

Brenner’s cheesemaking began with the 30 minute mozzarella kit from the New England Cheese Supply Company.  In her article she provides a list of basic cheesemaking equipment as well as her recipes for ricotta, cream cheese, kefir cheese and more.

Following up on yesterday’s vegan cheese discussion, we’ll share with you her cashew cheese recipe, with more real cheese recipes and more after the link.

Cashew cheese
1¾ cup of raw cashews
2 tablespoons of tahini
5 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon of salt

2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1. Place cashews in glass bowl, cover completely with water, and allow to soak overnight.
2. Drain cashews and rinse.
3. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth – about 8 minutes (less in a Vita-Mix).
4. Return mixture to glass bowl, cover loosely with a towel, and let sit 12-24 hours. The texture of your cashew cheese will be very smooth and creamy. Great for spreads and dips.

Catalyst Magazine – The Alchemical Kitchen: Cheese-Making.

Heavy Table presents a fantastic, photographed account of her mozzarella cheesemaking efforts.   While she wasn’t thrilled with the outcome, it is representative of so many of our homemade cheesemaking efforts.  I’m sure many of us can relate to her sentiments throughout the mozzarella-making process. She gives a great level of detail, making this almost as instructive as if the cheese were a complete success.  We applaud her efforts!

Here’s an excerpt:

“Armed with a new candy thermometer and a renewed sense of determination, I set out to remedy my mistakes. I poured one gallon of whole milk into a large stainless steel stockpot, hitched the thermometer to the side, and turned the heat on medium-low. Once the milk reached 55° Fahrenheit, I added 1½ tsp of citric acid to ¼ c cold water and gently stirred the mixture into the milk. So far, so good.”

Homemade Mozzarella « The Heavy Table.